Northland Fighters
by Mariel Gullwhacker
Summary: Set just before The Bellmaker. Sorrel and Clover Swifteye must fight to protect their home from the Foxwolf...
1. The Seeds Of Evil Are Sown

**__**

Northland Fighters - Part 1

Sorrel Swifteye watched the fox approach. She sneered disgustedly at the wolf pelt, recognising it as the skin of Urgan, who had died two seasons ago. She herself had pushed it out into the sea.

Clover Swifteye, her twin sister, stood next to her.

"Should I go for a dekko?"

"No. Let me."

Before Clover could argue, Sorrel had leapt down from the ridge on which their home stood, fled through the tunnel and climbed up a high birch.

Sorrel listened to the conversation between the horde.

" 'Ere, s'not fair. You've got that cloak. I'm frozen 'ere. Give us a go, will ya!"

"No! Get your own, frognose! Urgan Nagru 'imself gave me this cloak, an' I'm not givin' it up for the likes of you!"

"The likes of me, hey? Well, the Foxwolf says you're to be fair, an' he's goin' t'make me a Cap'n, so there, toadbrain!"

"Make _you_ a Captain? You gotta be jokin', not when there's fine figures like me around!"

"Queen Silvamord," interrupted a small female rat, who was white rather than grey, "Queen Silvamord said that since I was her personal maid, she would see I was promoted. _And_ she gave me this cloak made out of fox fur."

"Here, Ashfur, give it a rest!" retorted Bragnose, who was forever boasting about his promotions, which he rarely got.

Sorrel wrinkled her nose.

"Funny smell around these parts," she remarked carelessly to Bragnose as she fell into step with him.

Bragnose sniffed. "Can't smell anything, mate."

"I'm no friend of scumbags, rat!" snarled Sorrel suddenly. Swinging her loaded sling, she cracked Bragnose about the head. She clouted Ashfur's snout for good measure, and then vanished.

Sorrel landed next to her twin.

"Clover, we are in _big_ trouble. We need Paris. Where is he?"

"Back in the cave with Amine and our protégés."

"Right, I'm going there first, then. There's something that's bothering me."

"What?"

"Just a nasty bump on Hector's head, nothing bad."

Clover's tail rose till it was touching her sister's chin.

"You'd better not be lying to me, Sorrel Swifteye. I'll know."

The sling was emptied immediately.

"Don't you trust me, Clovy?" asked Sorrel plaintively. "Look, I can't fight with an empty sling, can I? And you can hide it in your brush so I can't load it again."

Clover took the sling.

"All right, you old treewalloper. But the first hint of trouble and I'll rip it to bits. Like you said, you can't fight without a loaded sling, can you?"

Sorrel smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"No, sister, I can't sling with no stones."

Sorrel's tail whipped up and slapped Clover's head. She fell to the ground as Sorrel's brown eyes swam with tears of remorse.

"Sorry, Clover. You made me do that. I will never allow vermin to drive me from my home. I leave only of my own free will, and it will always be so. Now, I'll just tie you into the elm by our cave so you don't fall out, and I'll have a nice little skirmish. I do hope that those nasty vermin haven't run to their leader to tell on me. It'll spoil the fun."

A/N: Well, do you like it? I do. It's based on _The Bellmaker_, in case you haven't guessed. 

Sorrel is one of my favourite characters. I don't use her that often, but when I do, I do. She can be very annoying, like Paris, or beautifully obedient like Clover. I prefer her Mariel mood, though, arguing over things she doesn't like doing -- _it's out of character, you dimwit!_

****

She calls me treewalloper!

I _thought_ I told you to shut up and let _me_ do the author's note!

__

I was going to, but then you started being nasty!

*Sighing* 

Swifteyes.

Sorry about that. I tend to fight with Sorrel over everything -- in reality (which I very rarely face) she is a tiny orphaned red squirrel who has adopted me as her sister.

Disclaimer: Bragnose, Ashfur, Clover, Hector, Paris, Amine -- **_Wouldn't it be quicker to say what isn't yours?_**

Shut up.

The aforementioned all belong to me. Urgan Nagru, Silvamord -- they belong to Brian Jacques.

I don't own Sorrel. Sorrel owns me … 

**__**

Correct. That's about the only thing you've got right in this whole thing!

You know _nothing_ of this, Sorrel, so don't talk about it.

__

*Muttering something which, fortunately, I can't hear, Sorrel replies*

Yes, your highness.

Sarcasm, Sorrel, is the lowest form of humour.

__

Then don't use it.

Isn't she bad-tempered?

**__**

Ahem!

Help!

**__**

Mariel Gullwhacker.


	2. They Blossom And Fruit

**__**

Northland Fighters - Part 2

Disclaimer: Standard.

A/N: Oh, I'm sorry that I did this - I really didn't want to do this … 

Sorrel slid through the crack in the rock. Silently, she slipped past her brother, who looked half-asleep.

She picked up his bow and filled his quiver. She stuffed her sling into the quiver as well, and filled Clover's pouch with rocks. She stuck a dagger into her belt, and brandished a lance. Armed to the teeth, she crept back past her brother.

"Sorrel, what on earth d'you think yore _doin_'?"

Sorrel froze. Slowly, she turned to face her brother.

"Come on, Reguba. There's no need to look so shocked."

"_Paris_!"

"What?"

"One, you called me Reguba - "

"Oh, that's true enough. Yore mother were a Reguba, and yore dad a Swifteye."

"Two, I'm going out to kill vermin - "

"Really? I thought you were goin' to kill yore sister!" said Paris sarcastically.

"Paris, why d'you call Clovy _my_ sister? She's yore sister too, y'know!"

"Nope. She's not. But I'm not goin' to go into it now. Where's the vermin?"

"Camped in the strawberry patch," quipped Sorrel.

"Shut yore mouth, 'cause that's _my_ bow you've got there, an' my best one at that!"

"Tough. A Reguba doesn't borrow, he takes!"

Paris jumped up. "Oi! Watch yore mouth!"

"You just told me to shut it," ruminated Sorrel.

"So do it!"

"Nope, sorry, can't. Got some nasty vermin to fight, an' the good old Urgan Nagru ain't goin' to hang around to get killed. Leave 'im to old Finnbarr, eh?"

"Only wish ole Finnbarr were 'ere now, old lass," muttered Paris. "He'd knock some sense into you!"

Sorrel scowled.

"Just remember, old chap, that if I get killed, yore not to go avengin' my death, OK? I don't need you chaps barging in an' gettin' yoreselves killed, 'specially Hector and Darian."

She patted her brother's head and fled through the cave entrance before he could say anything.

*

Amine, Paris's wife, cradled her two squirrelbabes in her paws. Darian, the smaller one, woke, and started to cry. She was something of a Seer, but Amine paid little attention to her prophecies, which came frequently, and were always true.

*

"Regubaaaaa!" yelled Sorrel, dancing the dance of death. She knew she had no chance, but her natural agility would make it easy to escape. Clover had joined the battle from the treetops, hurling stones from Sorrel's sling, which she had confiscated before Sorrel knocked her out. Only now and then would she venture down on to the ground to refill her pouch.

A well-aimed spear caught Sorrel in mid-air, and she fell with a cry. Clover leapt down into the screaming sea of rats, killing with a berserk rage that she had never felt before.

*

"That's our Sorrel," said Amine tiredly. She had been out searching for the miscreant for at least an hour, and Paris had only just got back.

"Disappears into thin air, just like Hector," replied Paris.

"_Hector_?"

"He's vanished, Amine. Darian is there, asleep, but Hector's gone."

"You know where he'll be," said Amine resignedly. "With Sorrel, you can count on it."

"The stupid little ---------!" 

Paris cursed. Turning to his small daughter, he was set upon from behind.

"_What the_ - "

Five rats pierced him sharply with their spears. With a yell of maddened pain, he threw himself on the first, kicking out fiercely with his back legs. Two fell with dislocated necks as he tore the throat out of the first with his teeth. Snatching up a javelin, he ran one rat straight through, killing the rat behind him as well.

Paris handed the javelin to Amine, who promptly stabbed Ashfur. Crouching in a sparring position, Paris let fly with his fists. Darian bit another rat on the footpaw, and he howled and kicked out, landing on his tail. Darian bit off the tip of his tail and spat it out.

"Rats don' taste nice," she explained in her baby tongue. "Sovvel does."

*

Sorrel was determined. Clover dragged her away by her tail, and Sorrel howled with pain.

"Get off, you dirty traitor! Ow, yore pullin' me brush off!"

Clover found it fairly easy for her to lift her twin, because though Sorrel was a fierce fighter, she was very light.

"Come _on_, Sorrel," she whispered. "The Foxwolf knows where our cave is."

Sorrel froze. Then she flung herself into the trees. Just thirty seconds later she arrived at the cave.

She could hardly see the crack that signified the entrance, for a waterfall of blood dripped down. She turned pale.

"Paris?"

Sorrel slid inside. She knelt by a dying rat.

"Foxwolf … joined up two seasons ago. Never knew … Fur and Freedom!"

Sorrel's eyes smiled as they swam with tears, a mixture of green, blue, and brown as they changed colour at rapid pace.

"Five of us set on the big male as he turned his back. We came through a passage the Foxwolf found … they never saw us until it was too late!

"My mate, Ringear, had 'is throat torn out … the female had a javelin, split Gouldon's gizzard … even the little one had something to say. There were fivescore of us … just look at who's left! We completed our mission, though … we slew them all. Now there's only those little squirrelmaids, the Urgan Nagru says. Mind you, the one that slew Bragnose wasn't too little. Tall, they say … the Urgan Nagru says there's two … twins. The first squirrel twins in history to be identical, he said … supposed to be quite famous … "

Sorrel stood up and slew the rat, babbling in his fever. She knew all she needed.

A faint moan came from Amine. Sorrel felt a glimmer of hope.

"Amine?"

"Sorrel … I'm dying. Listen, don't interrupt … it wasn't your fault. You could have done nothing. Even if we had had all the weapons in the northlands we couldn't have survived that attack. Fivescore! Cowards! But we've taken a few with us … don't worry, Sorrel. Don't worry."

"Amine," Sorrel whispered. "Amine, I know. You and Paris have killed them all. Don't worry. We'll get revenge."

"What was it you said to Paris? If they kill me, don't bother avenging me. Don't go getting yourself killed."

"That's different," said Sorrel sadly. "I didn't know how it felt … if only I could go back … "

"You can't, though. I meant that as a warning … and Hector … he's disappeared!"

Sorrel nodded. "But he's still alive … we'll take care of him … "

"We … " repeated Amine. "You're both alive … "

Sorrel nodded again. "Clover is winging her way here like she's a bird. We'll be a happy bunch, I promise. And to the good creature, death is the next great adventure … and there's always a happy ending … "


	3. And Are Reaped, Never To Be Used Again

**__**

Northland Fighters - Part 3

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And the creed, and the colour, and the name don't matter

Were you there?

A/N: I love that song. That's all I can remember, but it's perfect for this. 

Sorrel's hiding in a corner somewhere, sulking, along with Paris, Amine, and Darian. Hector was a little upset, but I explained everything to him. Clover is also sulking, because I let Sorrel be with Amine in her last moments, and not her. The first bit is a flashback as she travels to Mossflower with Clover and Hector who was found crying for Mama.

__

She collapsed half-dead on the ground. Around her lay the fruits of her massacre. She didn't know. She didn't care. All she knew was that three-quarters of the horde were dead, and now winter would take its toll.

Winter!

The word sent sudden shivers through her body. They would never survive the winter alone, not even with Foxwolf gone. There were no crops, (burned out of the Foxwolf's spite) no water collected, (the streams would be frozen over) no anything. Nothing.

They must … 

She had fallen asleep.

Sorrel jerked awake. She felt so lonely. Three seasons travelling had increased her defensive attitude, and she could feel that they were being watched.

Sorrel rose slowly. She stooped to pick up a heavy climbing rope and knotted one end.

She swung it round her head and it connected with a thud.

"Whoever's there, it's cheek to copy someone's weapon," said a voice indignantly. "I'm Mariel Gullwhacker, so, vermin run for your life!"

Sorrel blinked. "I don't fight mousemaids, friend. And you needn't fight me. I only just made that weapon on the spur of the moment, since all our own are packed."

"How did you know I was a mousemaid?" asked the voice. "And why needn't I fight you?"

"Because I'm a squirrelmaid," retorted Sorrel. "That's Sorrel Swifteye, one of the only pair of squirreltwins in the world now. I come from the North Mountains, so Fur and Freeeedooooommm!"

"Swifteye Squirreltwin?" said Mariel, coming out of the shadows.

"That's me. Sorrel Swifteye. My twin's back there, sleeping. Our mother was a Reguba, our father a Swifteye, both warriors. And I am sworn to kill vermin all my life!"

Mariel smiled slightly. "Our camp is back there. Dandin and I have a fire going. Would you and your companions care to come?"

"Certainly. My nephew's just a baby yet - "

"So why did you bring him?"

Sorrel's eyes swam with tears. Mariel saw this, and abruptly wished she hadn't spoken.

"It's a long story," she choked out at last.

"Don't tell us if you don't want to," said Mariel sympathetically.

"I _do_ want to. That's just it … I can't. Not until I know _he's_ dead."

"He?"

"The impostor. The one who wore a wolf pelt, saying he was a great warrior to kill a wolf, even though he actually found a dead wolf on the frozen North Sea and skinned it. I should know. I pushed it out to sea."

"The Foxwolf? The Urgan Nagru?"

Sorrel raised her head.

"Yes."

"He's dead. Now will you tell us?"

Sorrel just wanted to know one more thing.

"Did Finnbarr kill him?"

"Finnbarr Galedeep? Yes. But he died just minutes after."

There was a long silence. Then Sorrel spoke again.

"Good old Finnbarr. I knew he'd never die in his bed."

~

They sat around a campfire, singing ditties to the music of Dandin's flute, and Sorrel and Clover had just finished a duet. They bowed as one and sat down, smiling.

__

So the squirreltwins were happy once more. They never forgot the north mountains and the Foxwolf, but their revenge had come, and they were at rest. They died on the same day, long seasons later, and were buried side by side.

A/N: This is very short. And it's also the end of the series. Bye, bye, Sorrel darling.

**__**

You haven't heard the last of me. Not by a long chalk.

Yes, Sorrel. Whatever, your highness.

Don't worry about Sorrel. She's just sulking because I told her I was finished.

Disclaimer: Sorrel, Clover, and Hector belong to me. Mariel, Dandin, and Finnbarr, also the Gullwhacker, belong to Brian Jacques.

Mariel Gullwhacker.


End file.
